Blinken to visit Egypt, Israel, Jordan and Qatar next week

Cairo – 7 June 2024: The US State Department announced that Anthony Blinken will travel to Egypt, Israel, Jordan, and Qatar next week.

Blinken’s visit to the region next week aims at continuing the Gaza Strip ceasefire agreement discussions, according to al Qahera news channel.

The US State Department said that Blinken will stress during his tour in the region the importance of Hamas accepting the proposal on the table regarding a ceasefire and the exchange of prisoners and detainees.

Egypt and the United States have emphasized the importance of Israel and Hamas finalizing a ceasefire agreement for Gaza as soon as possible as they discussed the current truce proposal on the table.

During a meeting in Cairo on Thursday, Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and the White House Coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa, Brett McGurk, said Israel and Hamas need to take serious and true steps to ensure reaching a deal for a ceasefire across Gaza.

Ahmed Abu Zeid, the spokesperson for the Egyptian Foreign Ministry, stated that McGurk expressed his keenness to continue collaborative efforts with Egypt to resolve the crisis in Gaza.

McGurk commended the effective coordination between Egypt and the United States in this regard and highlighted Egypt's vital role across various humanitarian, political and security tracks to put an end to the crisis and contain its implications.

Shoukry assured McGurk of Egypt's ongoing intensified efforts to end the Israeli war in Gaza.

He stressed the urgent need for a significant increase in humanitarian and relief aid entering Gaza, given the worsening humanitarian crisis in the strip.